Harvest America

Harvest America Blog

Robin’s Story

By: John Collins

Posted: February 15, 2013

I spoke with Robin on the phone today. It’s been a little over two years since he gave his life to Christ at the Harvest Crusade in Seattle, Washington. He still breaks into tears when he tells the story.

Robin’s story is emblematic of why it’s important to bring the gospel to our nation. It’s why Harvest America—and all gospel preaching—is the last best hope for our country. It’s why we’re working overtime to mobilize believers nationwide to join us in bringing the gospel to hundreds of thousands of people this September 29 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

So what is Robin’s story?

Like many people of our generation, Robin grew up fast and free. His mom died of alcohol abuse when he was just 12 years old. That only fueled the party rage inside him. He says he barely made it through high school, and if you were to poll the people he hung with, they would’ve said he was either “destined for prison, or to be the father of many illegitimate children with multiple mothers . . . or both.”

What they didn’t take into account was that Robin was street-wise and a born salesman. Those traits, sandwiched between his party life and starting a family, enabled him to build a business in the recreational vehicle industry. To his surprise and to that of his friends, he found himself rolling in dough—and the excesses of life. Overindulgence was the god of his choosing, building race cars and “spending money like a drunken rock star.”

After years of emptiness, he finally confided in a friend and co-worker that he’d come to the end of the line. Fortunately, that friend was a Christian. He pointed him to the Bible, and because Robin didn’t read all that well, he ordered him a set of DVDs from a local pastor. Robin ate it up.

It wasn’t long before he wanted to know more about Jesus. Then, one Sunday morning, he asked his friend if he would take a drive into Seattle and hear that pastor in person. As it turned out, that was the Sunday Greg Laurie and the Harvest team were in town at Key Arena. Robin’s friend seized the opportunity and brought him to the Harvest Crusade instead. After hearing the music of MercyMe and Pastor Greg’s presentation of the gospel, Robin tearfully surrendered his life to Christ.

As are all conversions, it was only the beginning for Robin. His wife and son had not made decisions to follow Christ and they became the quiet focus of his heart’s prayers. For two years he decided he would show them how God could change a man’s life—and what they saw made difference. Robin plugged into a church, even becoming the head of the men’s ministry, and faithfully and quietly studied God’s Word. He shared his newfound insights with his wife, and there was always an attentive ear, but her upbringing in “religion” left her deeply suspicious. She was content to watch from the sidelines. So he simply prayed, and humbly walked the walk.

Then, to his surprise last August, Harvest America was scheduled to be live-streamed into their church. Here was a chance for his wife, Kathy, to attend the very same type of event that he attended when he gave his life to Christ. Here was an opportunity for her to hear Pastor Greg Laurie give a presentation of the gospel. Here was hope for new life for them both!

So on August 26, he brought her and their son to Harvest America. Their pastor, knowing Robin’s desire to see his wife and son come to Christ, even sat with them in the pews as Pastor Greg spoke. But when it came time to make that decision, they did not respond. Even when Robin got up after Greg’s invitation and encouraged others in the audience to do what he did and see their lives changed, even as 10 other people responded and walked to the front of the church at Robin’s encouragement, she and their son sat in silence.

But God has His own timing. On that following Wednesday, as Robin read his Bible and offered some thoughts about what he had read to his wife, Kathy suddenly opened up. He explained the gospel to her once again, what Jesus had done for them both, and then he read a “sinner’s prayer” to her. She said she had “always believed” in God, but she had never prayed that prayer sincerely. Even as he had just repeated it, she said she hadn’t sincerely allowed it to take root in her own heart. So Robin took a deep breath and asked her, again, “Will you pray it now?”

She agreed, and through tears of brokenness they became a couple in Christ. Robin has to pause frequently for composure when retelling it.

In Psalm 40, David described it this way: “He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along” (NLT).

That’s what our God does and that’s why Harvest America moves forward. Our nation is full of Robins and Kathys. Some are fed up with excess in life; others stand by quietly suspicious of religion. And Jesus is ready, in His timing, to meet them where they are, and pull them out of the mire.

Today, Robin is still selling RVs. Now he works for his Christian friend and mentor. He doesn’t have all the material things he once did, as bankruptcy and years of hard living stripped it all away. But Robin doesn’t care. He has peace. He has a wife that is walking with God and a son who is “tracking” in that same direction.

And he has one more thing: a burning passion to bring the gospel to others in need.

Comments

By: Joel trotchie

As a brother in Christ, I was blessed to get to know Robin from our church and men’s group. It is so awesome to see prayers answered and beyond words to have our loved ones to come to know Christ. I did not know about his wife and this recent story thought. For Robin and I have not communicated for awhile; at least about this event. Oh how truly great and good and loving or Lord and savior Jesus Christ is! Thank you Lord for loving on your son and my Christian brother and thank you for Harvest America!

Posted: February 15, 2013 at 11:44 pm

By: Robin

Pastor John, Thank you for sharing my story a bit scary I must say laying it out there like this but as I have learned in my two short years with God on my side, I have nothing to fear for I finally have a strong rock and the most powerful foundation to stand upon. My biggest prayer request now is for my entire family. My journey although short I have already witnessed how God can change anyone at anytime if they are just willing to take that step, reach out to God and accept him as there Lord and Savior. God already knows who you are and what you are facing and he loves you unconditionally. It does not matter what your sins are, what you have done, He is waiting for you right now to reach out to him, if you’re in that position right now I am going to share a sinners prayer, found in Pastor Greg Laurie’s Start Bible. Read this prayer and say this prayer in your heart God listening and waiting and ready. “Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, I have broken your commandments and fallen short of your standards, right now I turn from that sin and ask you to come into my life, Be my Lord, Savior, friend and God. I put my faith in Jesus Christ and in him alone, to save me from my sins. Thank you for loving me and calling me, In Jesus name I pray, AMEN”

If you have just read that prayer and said it in your heart, welcome to God’s Kingdom, and you are now a new creation in him and he in you. May God bless any one who has read this just as he has blessed me.

Robin B.

Posted: February 16, 2013 at 3:11 am

By: Pam

Thank you for sharing your story, Robin. It is a joy to have you as a part of the family of God. And it is an encouragement to share the good news with others that God puts in our path.

Posted: February 20, 2013 at 12:18 pm

By: Pam D.

very encouraging! my son attended Harvest-Riverside with me this past Sunday (I asked him to do that for me for my birthday) and got to hear Pastor Greg give a good message about Revelation/end times and, of course, the gospel. All through the invitation, I sat pleading with the Holy Spirit to draw him to the Lord. He did not respond, but I continue to pray that what he heard will get into his heart. I know it is not the Lord’s desire that any should perish, and I claim that for my son (and all of my family). I was only drawn into the ‘romance’ with my Savior on Mother’s Day, 2007 and I just turned 59 on Monday….so I came to Christ late in life. It was encouraging to read how Robin pressed on in prayer and continued to lift his family up to the Throne of Grace and was able to see the fruit of those petitions. I pray I, too, will experience that glorious moment of surrender in my son’s life, too! I believe if he would go to a Harvest event he would leave there redeemed! I trust the Word will not return void and will accomplish what God sent it out to do! Amen! Blessings and love in Jesus’ Name!

Posted: February 20, 2013 at 1:17 pm

By: Robin B.

Pam,
Pressing in on prayer is the only way to go, it is so different for me to have to sit back out of the way and let God do his work, I have always been the type of person to make it about my terms and conditions. keep loving on him like a mother does and more so keep praying for him like only a mother can do, I myself will pray for the both of you. may you find the courage to stay focused and put all your trust in God for him to his works in and with your son.

A prayer I read today regarding our children:
Lord, You have said in your word that whatever we ask in Your name, You will do it, Grant me the skills and ability to communicate, to teach, and to nuture my children, I pray that they will love and listen to YOUR WORD and will believe in Your truth and Your purpose in their life. Increase my faith to believe that You will establish all my prayers concerning my children. In Your name I Pray, Amen

God’s Promise John 14:13-14
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the father.You may ask me anything in my name, and I will do it